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An American hero, creating 'Hope' for others
An American hero, creating 'Hope' for others
(Created: Thursday, October 2, 2008 12:18 PM CDT)
In times of crisis and national emergency, the patriotic spirit of this nation displays itself in full glory. The city of Celina was honored to welcome a true American hero Thursday morning, and despite multiple injuries received serving his country, he is donating his time and expertise to help soldiers and their families continuing to suffer from similar experiences as his own. He designed a new art piece, and with the help of Ben Farrow of Farrow Welding in Celina, that drawing is coming to life as a sculpture.
U.S. Staff Sergeant William (Bill) Kleinedler was wounded in October 2006 by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), while driving north of Baghdad.
Since then, he has been recovering at Brook Army Medical Center (BAMC) from second and third degree burns to his hands, chest, back and face. His nose was totally reconstructed and he will continue to receive treatment and therapy at BMAC.
A 15 year Army Veteran, Kleinedler was understandably emotional as the short video created to support the new “Returning Heroes Home” was shown.
“You need to understand that being in the Army for 15 years, all the training in those years, I put my boots on everyday and went to work because this was my job,” explained Kleinedler.
Even more emotion was displayed as he talked about the day he was wounded, having to stop a few times and take some deep breaths. “I was driving a Humvee with four other soldiers inside. We were traveling on a road just outside of Baghdad, when I saw a fresh patch of asphalt about the size of a basketball just in front of us. We were trained to look out for things like that, but it happened so quickly, there was no way I had a chance to swerve away. Next thing I knew, it felt as if we had hit a large pothole, and the floor of the vehicle opened up and balls of fire overcame the entire inside,” said the Staff Sgt.
He continued, “I kept hearing a voice tell me to get out of the truck…get out of the truck. I tried to open my door and it was jammed, as the voice kept telling me to get out. Then the voice said, you need to get out of this truck now.”
“Somehow, at that time, my door popped open and I jumped down onto the pavement and just started rolling until I felt dirt in a nearby ditch. Without thinking, I got up, readied my weapon and saw American soldiers, part of the medic crew, heading my way. Later, at a Baghdad hospital, he learned that three people in the Humvee had been killed.
Spending several months in the San Antonio area in rehabilitation, makes his design and construction of his new sculpture mean even more to future soldiers and families that will be going through long rehabilitations.“
An artist his entire life, his works have been shown in art galleries homes, and businesses across the nation. His choice of work is normally dry form, such as pencil or pen and ink, but has been experimenting lately with watercolors. Although he has several sculpture pieces in friend’s homes, this project will be his first public sculpture.
The Warrior and Family Support Center formerly known as the Soldier and Family Assistance Center, is a facility at Fort Sam Houston designed to meet the physical and emotional needs of America’s heroes. Although currently housed in a small second floor office 1,200 square feet in area, the center makes a profound contribution to the rehabilitation of America’s seriously wounded soldiers, and their loved ones.
Ground was broken in September of 2007 to build the new 12,000 square foot, “Returning Heroes Home” to replace the small center currently in use. It is designed to provide a living room environment, with all the comforts of home, for the country’s Wounded Warriors and their families, while most are so far away from their own homes.
Jennifer Golden of Golden Construction, brought Bill to Celina, and her company is responsible for all the stone and masonry for the new home.
“He is simply amazing,” said Golden, and added “For all he has been through, and still is in rehabilitation, his only thoughts are for his fellow wounded soldiers, and how he might be able to brighten their days.”
Staff Sgt. Kleinedler is a talented artist and has been donating his services with several Dallas area companies to create artwork to be used as the focal point of the new Returning Heroes Home. In spite of all his injuries, he feels this is the least he can do to offer, “Hope” to other soldiers and families having to cope with extensive injuries received in the line of duty. He’s even begun to teach drawing to many of the wounded soldiers in San Antonio during his rehab times.SS
Fittingly, the artwork being created has been named “Hope”. During his visit to Celina, Sgt. Kleinedler will be at Farrow Welding and Powdercoating, to meet with local 1st Responders of the Frisco Fire Department, and Paul and Ben Farrow who will be assisting in the creation of the iron sculpture, “Hope”.
The sculpture, mostly iron and metal, will be over 18 feet tall when completed and will go just above the massive stone fireplace as all walk into the home. It depicts a swirling, almost violent twisting near the bottom, flowing to a smaller, peaceful top portion. Within the twisted metal pieces will be over 75 butterflies of all sizes and shapes.
Golden added, “The butterfly has been adopted for sometime by the soldiers and their families at the BAMC, as a symbol of rebirth, and hope. It is only natural we have these displayed within the sculpture.”
The new home is a state-of-the-art construction and will provide not only the very large social gathering area, but kitchen facilities, a dining room, learning room equipped for computerized training, private counseling rooms for patients and their families, a business center, game room and a full-length of the facility, back and front porch areas.
Staff Sergeant Bill Kleinedler is an American hero whose first thoughts are for his fellow soldiers. A native of Michigan, Bill lives full-time in Massachusetts now.
